After going seven games without a win, the Columbus Crew finally came away with a victory over the Kansas City Wizards, who hadn't lost since May 12th, on a beautiful Wednesday evening at Crew Stadium.

The Wizards set the tone early when in the 3rd minute Nick Garcia bowled over Chad Marshall in a fight for a loose ball in front of the goal, leaving Scott Sealy all alone but the whistle justifiably was heard.

In the 11th minute, Michael Harrington tried taking a page out of European soccer when Chad Marshall stuck a leg out as he was charging into the box. Replays showed that shameless midfielder avoided contact yet rolled around in the penalty area as if stricken with insanity.

The only opportunity, if it can be called that, came in the 39th when a Columbus free kick took a deflection off the wall forcing Kevin Hartman into making a save to his right.

The second half was 11 minutes old when Alejandro Morena took his chances slicing in from the left hand side and letting loose from the corner of the penalty area. Four players, two of each color impeded that shot's progress and the loose ball fell to midfielder Eddie Gaven.

Having beat Harrington to the inside, Morena fired towards goal where the shot rebounded off of Garcia, and Crew midfielder Duncan Oughton. From a two yards left of the penalty spot Gaven took control, stepped to his left and coolly slotted home in the far right corner.

The former Red Bull star had not yet scored this season, a stretch that extended over more than 600 minutes, and his strike breathed life into the last place side.

Stefani Miglioranzi made it two for the Crew just five minutes later with a great header off of a set piece, falling away from the goal and placing his shot just past the outstretched arms of Hartman.

Deep into second half injury time, the visitors got one back when Ryan Pore taking a long ball almost at the touchline, chesting it back towards midfield. Jack Jewsbury ran onto the loose ball and fired past Columbus keeper Will Hesmer.

It was too little, too late for the Wizards, however, and the Crew hung on for their first victory since late April.

Columbus travel to Los Angeles to play the Galaxy on Saturday while Kansas City return home and will face the Houston Dynamo on Sunday.

Scoring
CLB - Eddie Gaven 1 (Duncan Oughton 2, Alejandro Moreno 4) 56'
CLB -- Stefani Miglioranzi 1 (Guillermo Barros Schelotto 5) 61'
KC -- Jack Jewsbury 1 93'

Line-Ups

KC - Kevin Hartman, Jack Jewsbury, Jimmy Conrad, Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Ryan Raybould 84), Davy Arnaud, Sasha Victorine, Kerry Zavagnin, Michael Harrington, Carlos Marinelli (Yura Movsisyan 58), Scott Sealy (Ryan Pore 73).

CLB - Will Hesmer, Ezra Hendrickson (Jed Zayner 71), Marcos Gonzalez, Chad Marshall, Stefani Miglioranzi, Duncan Oughton, Ned Grabavoy, Danny O'Rourke, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Kei Kamara 91+), Alejandro Moreno, Eddie Gaven.